The preliminary decision on the repayment of student aid is just that – preliminary
NEWS
Getting a preliminary decision on the repayment of student aid in the mail may seem frightening. However, the decision is only preliminary. Receiving the letter does not mean that you have to pay any aid back to Kela.
What on earth is the preliminary decision on the repayment of student aid?
The preliminary decision on the repayment of student aid means that you have exceeded your income limit for the year under review. Based on this, Kela is suggesting repayment of your student aid. This year’s preliminary decisions concern 2018.
What should I do?
If the preliminary decision is correct, you will have to pay back some student aid. You can always negotiate with Kela about the schedule – you can, for instance, suggest paying in instalments or that Kela collects the payment directly from any benefits you receive.
On the other hand, if you have earned your income outside a period of active study, you should request a review of the decision. Kela does not know when you have earned your income. This mainly concerns students who have started their studies, graduated or used up their months of student aid in 2018.
Send Kela a free-from, written request to review the decision, along with the required attachments, such as payslips. The recovery is suspended for the duration of the review, so you will not have to worry about the due date.
You will get a new decision once the matter has been reviewed. Remember that you are not the only student answering Kela – it might take some time to process the matter. Of course, you can always contact Kela and ask them about the situation. However, this is not likely to speed up the process.
Here is what to do:
– Carefully read through the letter you received.
– If needed, make a request to review the decision by 19 March and send the attachments to Kela.
– Wait patiently. The recovery will be suspended for the duration of the review.
– Negotiate a new payment schedule if needed.
Do you still have questions?
You can contact our specialist, Tiia, at tiia.niemi@hyy.fi, by phone at 050 543 9608 or read more on Kela’s website.
